Today I got up earlier than I planned, faffed around trying to decide what to take to Shetland, how to pack it and what I didn't need after all. It was daylight by the time I left. I got the bus from the travel centre and went to the airport where my plane was delayed because of the weather. The weather on Orkney was nothing compared to the weather on Shetland. I went outside to look at massive waves crashing onto the rocks and it was so windy you could lean ...

My first impression of Kirkwall is that I don't like it very much. I left home at 8am to make sure I had plenty of time to catch the 8.55 train. Good thing I did too because it was replaced by an 8.38 bus because of engineering works. That bus got me to Bournemouth to join the train I would have been on and got me into Southampton airport in plenty of time. I had some toast - with added salt in the butter - and orange juice while I finished off Touching the V...